Road safety is a particular concern for children and young people. According to road safety figures and national research, young people aged between 11 and 14 are the age group most at risk from road accidents and injuries. This is especially true if young people are crossing the road in a group, since they may not look carefully at the road themselves, but rely on their friends to look. In addition, young people are more likely to take risks, which combined with a low awareness of road safety issues, increase their chances of injury and accidents when crossing the road or on bicycles.

• 141 children aged 0-15 were killed in road accidents in 2005
• 3,331 were seriously injured
• Boys are much more likely to be injured in road accidents than girls. In 2005, 1,301 boys and 833 girls were killed or seriously injured in pedestrian accidents and 448 boys and 79 girls were killed or seriously injured as cyclists

Accidents, however, can happen to any age group and it is important that children and young people continually learn about road safety awareness and the risks posed to them on the road throughout their lives.

For more advice and information regarding road safety see the weblinks below. Professionals can also contact the Brighton & Hove Road Safety Team for advice, information, training opportunities and support regarding a range of road safety concerns, Tel: (01273) 293704 or email: road.safety@brighton-hove.gov.uk. Alternatively visit the road safety pages on the Brighton & Hove City Council website at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk

For example, the Road Safety Team have a resource loan library aimed at ages 3-7 years which professionals can access. They organise and deliver pedestrian training for children aged 4-10 years old and cycling proficiency training for children aged 10 – 12 years. Assistance for schools in developing School Travel Plans, Safer Routes to School and provision of information regarding road safety enforcement measures, i.e. cameras, and much more is available.

In addition, this website also has a copy of the Department for Transports advert raising awareness with young people regarding road safety and crossing the road safely. See the top menu on the website to view the advert. Parents and carers can also get further advice regarding road safety within the interactive ‘Dodgy Town’ map on the top menu.

What parents & carers can do

• It doesn’t matter how old a child or young person is or how much they might think they know, everyone should always check the road for cars and other vehicles. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye!
• Make sure your children understand that they should never rely on someone else looking out on the road. Especially if they are with a bunch of friends, talking and having a laugh, they won’t all be paying attention to the road!
• If anything happens, they shouldn’t try to move the injured person: they should get some help from someone nearby and phone an ambulance (Tel: 999). Telling them what happened, where they are and who they are.
• Following an accident, children should never leave someone alone unless they have to, i.e. to get help.
• For more information about these issues see the ‘Road Safety’ page on this website.

Children walking to and from school

The transition from primary to secondary schools is a particular key time for children to learn about road safety. Parents tend to take their children to school when at primary, but not at secondary. Therefore, by secondary school, it is important that children and young people have an awareness of road safety issues and can assess risks posed to them on the roads.

Brighton & Hove Road Safety Team recommend that parents try to walk with their children to and from school, or around their neighbourhood or city centre, in order for them to learn road awareness and safety. For example, if it is possible, parents could meet their children half way from school or accompany them half way to meet their friends or when they go round a friend’s house etc.

In car safety

Many children are injured in cars during accidents because they have inappropriate restraints, i.e. poor car seats, baggy seatbelts. For more information about appropriate restraints for children in cars see the download leaflet below.  

Being seen at night or during the winter months

During dark evenings children are clearly more at risk from road accidents. The links below offer advice and information for parents and carers regarding reflectors and resources for children around being safe and being seen at night and during the winter months.

Downloads

Seat Belts & Child Restraints Leaflet: This leaflet from Think! gives more information about seat beats and safety in cars etc.

Step safely from the edge: This leaflet from the Child Accident Prevention Trust provides more information and advice about pedestrian safety and safety outdoors.

Road Safety Factsheet: This factsheet from the CAPT gives more information about road safety and injuries sustained to children on the roads.

Pedestrians Factsheet: This factsheets from the CAPT gives more information about injuries sustained by children as pedestrians.

Cycle Factsheet: This download from the CAPT gives more information about injuries sustained by children as cyclists.

Links

www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/

The Think Road Safety website offers news about the latest campaigns and road safety advice to keep everyone safer on the UK's roads. You can download leaflets, factsheets and posters for more information and there are links to other sites you might find useful.

www.hedgehogs.gov.uk/

The Hedgehog website is a specific website aimed at young children developed by the Department for Transport. The website offers lots of fun and advice for young children about road safety.

www.rospa.com/roadsafety/

RoSPA provide road safety information, education, training and publicity resources and services for road users and road safety professionals. They have a range of information, advice and resources for parents and carers.

www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/

Road Safety Week is for everyone and everyone can get involved! This website can be used to help prevent deaths and injuries in your community. Visit road safety week for more information.

www.direct.gov.uk/

The Direct gov website offers a range of advice and information for parents and carers regarding children’s road safety, including pedestrian awareness, cycling etc.

www.cyclesense.net/

This website offers advice to children and young people regarding cycling safely on the orads.

www.cyclemaps.org.uk/sites/lbbd/safety/index.html/

This website, developed by the Borough of Barking and Dagenham in London, offers simple advice about safe cycling.

www.brake.org.uk/

Break is a national road safety charity which can provide a range of information and advice about road safety issues and the safety of children and young people on the roads.

www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/fromseptember06.htm

There will be a number of important changes to the law in Britain on the use of child restraints in cars, vans, and goods vehicles from the 18th of September. This page will help you understand the new laws. As road safety professionals say…Don’t be a crash test dummy!

www.safekids.co.uk
SafeKids.co.uk was formed in late 2005 to offer a unique reference point on keeping your child safe. Safekids provides a range of information and advice about all sorts of accidnets and injuries.